Jason Toon

As today's Woot writeup and every single news outlet on the continent has indicated, there's something flying-fishy about that whole balloon boy panic from last week. While we've asked the hard questions, answers aren't really our department. That's where we're hoping you guys come in. And we're also hoping that Woot has something to do with the hoax/swindle/whatever, because we could use the publicity.

Show us the role that a Woot product, past or present, played in the Great Colorado Weather-Balloon Scare of Aught-Nine.

Post your entry here by 11:59 AM (central) on Monday, October 26, 2009. Prizes are $20/$50/$100 for 3rd/2nd/1st. The rules and criteria for winning: our panel of volunteer judges can and will make stuff up as it goes along. Use Photoshop, linoleum blocks, pastels, MSPaint, cave painting, tattoos, tribal scarification, whatever, but it’ll only be judged if it’s visible in our forums as a jpg, gif, or png. As we are fond of saying, try to keep your maximum width to 550px. If you need a place to host your pictures, try www.imageshack.ws or www.photobucket.com. We have no connection to either, but they seem free and easy to use. And if you want us to be sure your entry was indeed your work, post links to your source images. The more sure we are that you did your own work, the more likely we are to consider it for a prize.

ActorTom

It's been 10 (ten) weeks since Contest 231 closed, and still no results.

You maybe ought to check with your staff's legal team. I think some states may require, by law, that promotional contest results be made available within a certain time period of the close of the contest. Some may be as short as six (6) weeks.

gwbids

Jason Toon wrote:
“…we're also hoping that Woot has something to do with the hoax/swindle/whatever, because we could use the publicity. Show us the role that a Woot product, past or present, played in the Great Colorado Weather-Balloon Scare of Aught-Nine.”

Well, Mr. Toon, be careful what you wish for.

(Reporter’s Voice)
“ In breaking news, Federal marshals today charged Jason Toon, self proclaimed “communications dude” of popular Internet deal site Woot, with a list of charges stemming from the Heene “Balloon Boy” hoax. He was arrested at Woot’s Carrollton, Texas office and later transferred from the Carrollton, Texas police facility to the custody of Federal marshals. He is charged with conspiracy in the balloon hoax for supplying past and present Woot products used in perpetrating the hoax. When questioned about his participation, Toon was quoted as saying, ‘I cannot comment on this case, but I will say that this media frenzy is giving everyone involved exactly what they wanted.’

Woot’s Chief Executive Officer Matt Rutledge could not be reached for comment and, although he is under investigation, is not currently considered a suspect in the hoax.

Toon could receive up to six years in prison for his participation in the balloon hoax. However, inspectors from the U.S. Postmaster's office have stated that they are considering filing additional charges against Toon in an unrelated Federal mail fraud matter involving running cash-prize contests via the Internet without paying out the prizes. We will bring you more details as this story unfolds.”

gwbids

Cptamazing wrote:With the contests as indication of your attention to your customers, I will not only stop contributing, I am not buying your woot items either.

ALL of us are disappointed and some of us are angry that Woot feels it's loyal visitors are not worth an hour a day of results posting. There are some of us that just chop for fun though. My complaint is that the last few contest ideas have been kinda 'dumb'... with not too many ways to be creative. Like this one for instance. How many ways can you chop a picture of a balloon and some people that no one really cares about. Obviously not too many as there are less than 20 entries and they are already repeating. I put a Roomba on the balloon and a few pix later someone did exactly the same thing in the same place. See what I mean? No place for creativity.

FYI - For paying customers, Woot's customer service is excellent in my experience.

ActorTom

gwbids

If you are going to continue to do (or more precisely, not do) things that are going to make us poke fun at you, Mr. Toon, we are going to need more source photos of you posted to Woot or the Internet.

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